Six business tips for freelance English teachers

Running your own business as a freelance English teacher is very different from being employed. You don’t have anyone else telling you what to do, you can plan your own time, and make all the decisions about the best direction to take. All of these are huge benefits to running your own business… and they can also be your biggest challenges. So here are six top tips to help you make the most of being a freelancer. 

 1. Recognise that you are a business owner now. Perhaps you started working as a freelance English teacher almost by accident? Maybe you lost your job, or just wanted some extra cash. If you want to be a successful freelancer, you need to take running a business seriously. Quite often freelancers tell me, ‘but I don’t have a business, I just teach online.’ If you are charging people for your services, believe me, you have a business, and need to be ‘business-like’ in your approach. 

 2. Develop a strategy to attract the right clients. As a business and mindset coach for ELT freelancers, people often say to me, ‘I don’t know where to find clients’, or ‘I can’t find clients.’ But it’s not exactly about finding clients, it’s more about helping them to find you. There are thousands of freelance English teachers out there, so how is a student supposed to know who to choose? You certainly don’t want those who are simply choosing on the basis of the cheapest price. The students you want are those who are serious about their studies, and who want to find the right person to help them achieve their goals. They’re looking for someone who really understands exactly what they need, and someone that they trust has the skills and experience to help them overcome any challenges. Your job is to find out as much about your ideal client and their needs as you possibly can, and then show them: how well you understand their situation, and the help they need. why you are exactly the right person to help them. This is basically what we mean by ‘niche’. If you can get your niche right, and get the message out consistently and clearly, you will magnetically attract clients to you.

 3. Adopt a strategic mindset A business is a kind of organic life-form. Things change constantly, and the strategy that worked to get clients last year, might stop working this year. Or you might find that the clients who really want to work with you, aren’t exactly who you imagined they might be. You need to allow time to step back and look at what’s working and what isn’t, and be willing to keep trying things out, and adapt your plans as you go along. Remember how you tell your students that making mistakes is all part of the process of learning? As a business owner you need to take your own advice. It’s half the fun of having your own business, but it’s not always easy.

 4. Develop consistency and patience Most businesses are not an overnight success. Particularly if you’re trying to build your business through organic marketing (without paid adverts) and word of mouth. People imagine that success looks like a straight upward line from A to Z, but more often success is about going backwards and forwards. We can only see the progress we have made when we look back at where we started. 

 5. Create and maintain healthy habits Lots of people will tell you that to build a successful freelance business you have to be prepared to put in long, long hours. Of course, setting up and running a business requires effort. However, it’s up to us to create a business model which is sustainable. Decide what healthy habits will support you to make a success of your business. Maybe it’s about always getting eight hours of sleep, or always getting out for a walk, or not working weekends. Build those into your business model and make them non-negotiable. Learning how to prioritise is key to running a successful business. And what’s more of a priority than your health and mental well-being? 

 6. Stop giving your Inner Critic all the power We all have an Inner Critic. It’s that little voice in our head that tells us that we’re not good enough, or that people will judge us, and so on. It’s basically trying to protect us, but often ends up holding us back. Here are two key Inner Critic messages I often hear about in my work as a coach: ‘There’s too much competition.’ Find your niche, get visible, be patient and those clients who are looking for someone just like you will find you. ‘I don’t know if my students can afford that.’ All too often we make assumptions about what our students are willing to pay. Sometimes we may be right, of course. But that just means we need to look again at our niche, or at our business model. Most of the time though it’s just our scared Inner Critic making up stories again. Don’t get angry with it (or with yourself). Just notice the stories, question them, and decide to take the action you need to take anyway. 

 Which of the six tips do you think are the most important to help you move forward as a successful freelance English teacher?

Rachael Roberts,

Published 09 April 2023

Read the full article here and write your comments to answer the question.

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English Adult learners in Morocco (Survey...)

 English language learning starts among Moroccan young learners in lower secondary, and ''rarely'' in primary or preschool.However,Adults learn English at universities, vocational institutes and/or private language schools, and specialized centres ...If you are an adult or young adult , living in Morocco ,and you are interested in learning English in a creative,enjoyable and knowlegeable environmant, beyound the ordinary classroom.please fill out this form carefully, and tell us about your motivations to take an English language course.

يبدأ الأطفال في المغرب، تعلم اللغة الإنجليزية في المرحلة الإعدادية أو الثانوية، و''نادرا'' ما يتم ذلك في المرحلة الابتدائية أوالتعليم الأولي .بينما، يتعلم الكبار اللغة الإنجليزية في الجامعات والمعاهد المهنية و/أو مدارس اللغات الخاصة والمراكز المتخصصة... إذا كنت مهتما بتعلم اللغة الإنجليزية في بيئة خلاقة وممتعة، خارج الفصل الدراسي العادي.يرجى ملء هذه الاستمارة بعناية، وإطلاعنا على دوافعك لتلقي دورة في اللغة الإنجليزية

L'apprentissage de l'anglais commence chez les jeunes apprenants marocains dans le premier cycle du secondaire, et ''rarement'' dans le primaire ou le préscolaire. Cependant, les adultes apprennent l'anglais dans les universités, les instituts professionnels et/ou les écoles des langues privées, et les centres spécialisés...Si vous êtes un adulte ou un jeune adulte, vivant au Maroc, intéressé à apprendre l'anglais dans un environnement créatif, agréable et efficace, au delà de la classe ordinaire. Veuillez remplir ce formulaire avec soin, et nous parler de votre motivations pour suivre un cours d'anglais.

TO FILL OUT THE FORM,PLEASE CLICK HERE !

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An introduction to public speaking

Noone can deny the importance of public speaking in business in particular and life in general.Artists, politicians and businessmen use public speaking skills approximately everyday. Here you find a presentation that offers you a general background about PS in addition to some useful tips about oral presentations preparation and delivery.

To read the full presentation please click here.

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The Steps in Starting a Business

A-Read this text carefully:

The Steps in Starting a Business

Nearly every person who makes the decision to start a business is an entrepreneur

because he or she is willing to take a risk. Usually people decide to start a business to gain profits and to “do something on their own” or to be their own boss.

Entrepreneurs then gather the factors of production and decide on the form of business

organization that best suits their purposes. Anyone hoping to become an entrepreneur must also learn as much as possible about the business he or she plans to start. This process includes learning about the laws, regulations, and tax codes that will apply to the business.

Elements of Business Operation

To start a business, you must make potential customers aware that your services are

available for a price. You could have one-page fliers printed to advertise your business

and pass them out. You could also buy advertising space in the local newspaper.

Every business, regardless of size, involves four elements: expenses, advertising,

receipts and record keeping, and risk.

Expenses

If you own a painting business, you will need to purchase brushes and paint. As your

business grows, you might invest in paint sprayers so that you can complete jobs faster.

This new equipment would add to your income, but will probably take more money

capital than you have on hand.

Advertising

You will quickly find out that letting potential customers know that you are in business

is costly. Once you have customers, however, information about your business will spread by word of mouth.

Receipts and Record Keeping

No matter how small your business is, having a system to track your expenses and

income is key to your success. All receipts should be safely filed and saved.

Risk

Every business involves risks. You must balance the risks against the advantages of

being in business for yourself - including profit versus loss.

Depending on the kinds of jobs you do, you will need equipment and replacement

parts. At first, you might buy parts as you need them for a particular job: In time, you will

find it easier to have an inventory. An inventory is a supply of whatever items are used in

a business.

Probably one of the first things you want to do, if you have not already done so, is buy

a computer. With the computer, you also should purchase the programs that will allow you to keep track of all your expenses and all your receipts. Many such programs exist and are relatively inexpensive. Programs write checks for you, calculate your monthly profit and loss, tell you the difference between what you own and what you owe (called net worth),and so on. As an entrepreneur, you are taking many risks, but the profit you expect to make is your incentive for taking those risks. For example, if you spend part of your savings to pay for advertising and equipment, you are taking a risk. You may not get enough business to cover these costs.

B- Re-read the text and answer all the questions:

1-What is the general idea of the text?

2-Comment on this quote “Nearly every person who makes the decision to start a business is an entrepreneur because he or she is willing to take a risk”?

3- Decide whether these statements are true or false? Justify your             answers? 

a-Computer programs are so expensive.

b- Only huge companies need accounting records to meet success.

c-To gain money you have to spend money.

d-Every entrepreneur needs to be aware of different laws and regulations related to business.

4- Find in the text words or expressions meaning the same as: 

       a-to set up       b-director       c-charges        d-buy

5- What do the two underlined words in the text refer to? 

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Cultural challenges in business

A-Read carefully the text:

Nobody actually wants to cause offence but, as business becomes ever more

international, it is increasingly easy to get it wrong. There may be a single European

market but it does not mean that managers behave the same in Greece as they do in

Denmark.

In many European countries handshaking is an automatic gesture. In France good

manners require that on arriving at a business meeting a manager shakes hands with

everyone present. This can be a demanding task and, in a crowded room, may require gymnastic ability if the farthest hand is to be reached. Handshaking is almost as popular in other countries - including Germany, Belgium and Italy. But Northern Europeans, such as the British and Scandinavians, are not quite so fond of physical demonstrations of friendliness.

In Europe the most common challenge is not the content of the food, but the way you behave as you eat. Some things are just not done. In France it is not good manners to raise tricky questions of business over the main 39 course. Business has its place: after the cheese course. Unless you are prepared to eat in silence you have to talk about something - something, that is, other than the business deal which you are continually chewing over in your head.Italians give similar importance to the whole process of business entertaining. In fact,in Italy the biggest fear, as course after course appears, is that you entirely forget you are there on business. If you have the energy, you can always do the polite thing when the meal finally ends, and offer to pay. Then, after a lively discussion, you must remember the next polite thing to do - let your host pick up the bill.

In Germany, as you walk sadly back to your hotel room, you may wonder why your

apparently friendly hosts have not invited you out for the evening. Don’t worry, it is

probably nothing personal. Germans do not entertain business people with quite the same enthusiasm as some of their European counterparts.

The Germans are also notable for the amount of formality they bring to business. As an outsider, it is often difficult to know whether colleagues have been working together for 30 years or have just met in the lift. If you are used to calling people by their first names this can be a little strange. To the Germans, titles are important.

In Italy the question of title is further confused by the fact that everyone with a

university degree can be called Dottore - and engineers, lawyers and architects may also expect to be called by their professional titles.

These cultural challenges exist side by side with the problems of doing business in a

foreign language. Language, of course, is full of difficulties - disaster may be only a

syllable away. But the more you know of the culture of the country you are dealing with, the less likely you are to get into difficulties. It is worth the effort. It might be rather hard to explain that the reason you lost the contract was not the product or the price, but the fact that you offended your hosts in a light-hearted comment over an aperitif. Good manners are admired: they can also make or break the deal.

B- Re-read the text and answer all the questions:

1-What is the general idea of the text? 

2-Show the importance of understanding other cultures in business? 

3- Decide whether these statements are true or false? Justify your             answers?

a-Italians don’t prefer to be called by their professional titles.

b- In Germany you are requested to call people by their first names.

d-The rest of Europeans focus on entertaining their guests of business more than Germans.

e-British and Scandinavians prefer to keep more distance while greeting.

4- Find in the text words or expressions meaning the same as: 

       a-worldwide        b-courtesy         c-menu        d-completely 

5- What do the two underlined words in the text refer to? 

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What is business?

A-Read all the text carefully:

What is business?

Business is an organized approach to providing customers with the goods and services
they want. The word business also refers to an organization that provides these goods and
services. Most businesses seek to make a profit - that is, they aim to achieve revenues that exceed the costs of operating the business. Prominent examples of for-profit businesses include Mitsubishi Group, General Motors Corporation, and Royal Dutch/Shell Group.
However, some businesses only seek to earn enough to cover their operating costs.
Commonly called nonprofits, these organizations are primarily nongovernmental service
providers. Examples of nonprofit businesses include such organizations as social service
agencies, foundations, advocacy groups, and many hospitals.
Business Operations
A variety of operations keep businesses, especially large corporations, running
efficiently and effectively. Common business operation divisions include (1) production,
(2) marketing, (3) finance, and (4) human resource management.
Production includes those activities involved in conceptualizing, designing, and
creating products and services. In recent years there have been dramatic changes in the
6 way goods are produced. Today, computers help monitor, control, and even perform work.Flexible, high-tech machines can do in minutes what it used to take people hours to
accomplish. Another important development has been the trend toward just-in-time inventory.
The word inventory refers to the amount of goods a business keeps available for wholesale or retail. In just-in-time inventory, the firm stocks only what it needs for the next day or two. Many businesses rely on fast, global computer communications to allow
them to respond quickly to changes in consumer demand. Inventories are thus minimized
and businesses can invest more in product research, development, and marketing.
Marketing is the process of identifying the goods and services that consumers need and
want and providing those goods and services at the right price, place, and time.

Businesses develop marketing strategies by conducting research to determine what products and services potential customers think they would like to be able to purchase. Firms also promote their products and services through such techniques as advertising and personalized sales, which serve to inform potential customers and motivate them to purchase. Firms that market products for which there is always some demand, such as foods and household goods, often advertise if they face competition from other firms marketing similar products. Such


products rarely need to be sold face-to-face. On the other hand, firms that market products and services that buyers will want to see, use, or better understand before buying, often rely on personalized sales. Expensive and durable goods - such as automobiles, electronics, or furniture - benefit from personalized sales, as do legal, financial, and accounting services.
Finance involves the management of money. All businesses must have enough capital
on hand to pay their bills, and for-profit businesses seek extra capital to expand their
operations. In some cases, they raise long-term capital by selling ownership in the
company. Other common financial activities include granting, monitoring, and collecting
on credit or loans and ensuring that customers pay bills on time. The financial division of
any business must also establish a good working relationship with a bank. This is
particularly important when a business wants to obtain a loan.
Businesses rely on effective human resource management (HRM) to ensure that they
hire and keep good employees, and that they are able to respond to conflicts between
workers and management. HRM specialists initially determine the number and type of
employees that a business will need over its first few years of operation. They are then
responsible for recruiting new employees to replace those who leave and for filling newly
created positions. A business’s HRM division also trains or arranges for the training of its
staff to encourage worker productivity, efficiency, and satisfaction, and to promote the
overall success of the business. Finally, human resource managers create workers’
compensation plans and benefit packages for employees.

B- Answer all these questions:
1- Give a definition to the word ‘business’.
2- What is the difference between for-profit and non-profit organizations? Support
your answer with relevant examples.
3- What is production?
4- What is marketing?
5- Define such business operation as finance.

6-What does the HRM involve?

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